Moonlit Serenade
by theladynimue
Summary: It has been three years since her high school graduation, and three years since Kyo was imprisoned. Tohru Honda has been trying to move on and live her life without him, but she is finding it much more difficult that she ever imagined...
1. The Imprisonment

_Author's Note__: Welcome to the newly updated __Moonlit Serenade__, the _Fruits Basket_ fan fiction that I started many years ago. My skills have since improved (at least, I would like to think so!), and I wanted to make some changes to a story that will always hold a special place in my heart. Prepare for many changes ahead (the plot remains the same, though!), if you have already read it; and if you haven't, welcome, and I hope you enjoy it! ~LM~_

_P.S: For the record, I don't own _Fruits Basket_. Takaya-san does. The storyline, however, lives in the deep recesses in my mind…_

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Imprisonment**

Tohru Honda was curled in the corner of her bedroom at Shigure Sohma's house, her knees pulled tightly to her chest with her face pressed against her knees. Starbursts of light were glowing behind her eyelids, and tears stung behind her eyes, but would not fall. Her dry sobs echoed through the halls of the place she now called home. The agony was tangible, the wind and rain (how appropriate?) outside seemed to be attempting to comfort her.

She could not bare to be there, at the Main House, with Shigure, Yuki, and the other Sohmas. Akito, the head of the family, was going to imprison Kyo, as per the terms of the bargain. Kyo had to beat Yuki in combat before graduation. Now, graduation has come and gone, and Yuki was still triumphant. Kyo was doomed to live out the fate of all the cats of the Zodiac before him. He was to live the rest of his life locked up and alone.

Tohru did not want to see him locked away. He had too much fire, too much spirit to be shut away for the rest of his days…

She screamed, and it rent through the air, vibrating the air with all the pain, turmoil, and agony within her. It felt as though someone, some_thing_ was ripping her heart from her chest, her sobs choked her. Her lungs were on fire.

Was she going to die at that moment in time? She felt sure of it.

She was going to die of a broken heart…

She screamed again, and everything went black.

* * *

Kyo Sohma did not really blame Tohru for not coming, he really did not expect her to. If he was to be completely honest with himself, which he was (what did he have to lose?), he did not _want_ her to be there. He did not want her to see him this way, on the way to his life sentence. He wanted her memories to stay pure, to remember him as things were. He knew she loved him, as he loved her. He just wished it hadn't taken him so long to _know_ that he loved her. It was always there, just under the surface, but he denied it as long as he could get away with it. He regretted it now, but what's done is done. There was nothing he could do about it.

Everything for Kyo was moving in slow motion. In his peripheral vision, almost in his blind spot, he could see Yuki, his cousin, his rival, standing beside Shigure. At that moment, he hated the rat more than ever. Why hadn't he been able to beat him? He would not be in this situation if it wasn't for that damn rat!

He shifted ever so slightly, bringing the rat more into focus, and Kyo could not read the emotion playing across his cousin's face. Was it a look of content? Numbness?

_Regret?_

Kyo pressed the last from his mind.

There is no way in _hell_ that rat would be regretful of the cat being locked away for the rest of its life. That was the way of things.

Regardless, the look on Yuki's face would continue to haunt Kyo in the darkness of his cell.

* * *

Yuki Sohma watched Kyo with a heavy heart. Of course, he hated the cat, he was practically _programmed_ to, but his heart still stalled in his chest. Yuki had to watch the effect this turn of events had on Tohru, his best friend. The light that always danced in her eyes had gone out. Her smile appeared plastered on as she saw them off to the Main House after she opted to remain home during the procedures ("I shouldn't intrude on this, it's for your family, after all," she had said).

It was this vision of Tohru that sat at the front of his mind, the image that he saw whenever he closed his eyes.

Guilt wracked through him. Why couldn't he just swallow his pride and let the cat win once? That was all Kyo needed to avoid this situation. Why didn't he do it for Tohru?

This was all his fault. Kyo being locked away, the dying light within Tohru. All of it.

Could he even face her when they returned home?

Should he apologize to her?

Would that be enough?


	2. Please, Forgive Me

_Author's Note__: Welcome to the revised Chapter 2 for __Moonlit Serenade__. Thank you for your patience regarding this little story of mine, it's been years since I touched it, even though it has passed through my thoughts countless times. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. _Fruits Basket_ belongs to Takaya-San._

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Please, Forgive Me**

Tohru woke up feeling a cloth dampened with cool water being pressed to her face and neck. As she opened her eyes, she cold just make out Yuki perched on the side of her bed, taking tender care of her. She noticed his eyes were rimmed in red, had he been crying? Carefully, she sat up, her head feeling heavy.

She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. "What happened?"

"You passed out. When Shigure and I got home, you were on the floor." Yuki tried not to picture her in his mind, crumpled on the floor, looking broken. "You have been out for several hours." He dipped the cloth in the bowl of water that was sitting on the side table and handed it to her. "Hold this to your eyes. They are swollen from crying."

Tohru pressed the comforting cloth to her eyes until lights burst behind her eyelids. She could not believe Kyo was gone. Raising her gaze, she met Yuki's eyes. "I...I'm sorry. I am sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"No," Yuki replied, his voice small, but full of conviction. He looked away. "Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for…" His voice trailed off as a tear rolled down his cheek. Tohru leaned forward, now inches away, and placed her hand gently on his warm cheek, wiping the tear away with her thumb gently. Yuki covered her hand with his own and met her eyes.

The tenderness in her eyes was Yuki's undoing. All the emotions that had been building inside him burst to the surface, and he buried his face in his eyes as tears poured from his eyes. "I am so sorry, Tohru," he said, his voice broken. "This is all my fault. If it was not for me, you would be happy right now."

Tohru felt tears filling her own eyes. "It isn't your-"

"No!" Yuki interrupted, startling her with his vehemence. She had never seen him like this. Yuki was always so collected! "It is my fault! I should have been easier on him! I should have just let him win."

Tohru was overwhelmed and beginning to feel flustered. Suddenly recalling a trick Kyo had used on her once (trying not to focus too much on Kyo in the process), she threw the quilt from her bed over Yuki as a shield, and gathered him close to her. He didn't transform. Tohru did not understand _why_ this worked, exactly, but she did not question it. It worked, and that was all that mattered. She was thankful for it as Yuki cried like a hurt child into her shoulder, clinging to her.

Yuki recalled when, as a child, he would need this sort of attention and his mother was never there. Yet, Tohru was, and he loved her the more for it. She was the Wendy Darling to his Peter Pan. She was his mother, his friend. He was so lucky to have her in his life, and he knew she cared for him as he cared for her. He knew this was nothing as compared to what she felt for Kyo. Their bond was something different, something stronger. Would they ever be able to share something like that? Was it possible for their friendship to progress into something more? Part of him doubted it, but he did not care. All that mattered was that moment. Tohru was there and he needed her, he would never dream of taking advantage of that.

Tohru continued to hold him as he cried himself out, not saying a word. He needed to just cry. She remembered a time when her mother would simply hold her and allow her a good cry, and it always helped. Gently, she rubbed his back, which seemed to comfort him. She knew he shouldered all the blame for Kyo's imprisonment. She cried in silence, her cheek resting against the silvery lavender of Yuki's hair. There they sat, in companionable silence, yet speaking volumes.

After a time, Yuki stopped crying and they just held each other. He didn't care that his quilt-shield was making him overly warm, it was trivial compared to how much he needed her.

"Please, Tohru, please forgive me," he whispered, the pain in his voice squeezing her heart.

Tohru leaned back, the quilt falling between them, and cradled his face in her hands. "Of course I do." She gave a slight smile as she shifted her gaze to his beautiful violet eyes. "None of us knew what was going to happen when this time came. None of us knew how close we would have become, to what lengths our relationships would have reached." She sounded wise beyond her years at that moment, Yuki noted.

"Thank you," said Yuki, as he placed a kiss on her forehead. A blush filled her cheeks and her brown eyes widened.

Yuki smiled. There was the Tohru he knew so well.

* * *

Kyo stared moodily through the bars of his prison within the walls of the Main Sohma House, the full moon casting a bluish light to the courtyard before him. Although only a single day had passed, he felt as though it had already been an eternity.

Her face was in everything he looked at, and he could hear her name in everything. In the song the crickets were singing, in the wind whistling through the trees, everywhere. She haunted him.

Kyo punched the wall, relishing the pain it brought, then wincing as he thought about how she would have brought his scraped knuckles to her lips to kiss the pain away. Such an innocent gesture with so much meaning, so very Tohru.

Why couldn't Hatori have just taken her away from his memories?

"That's easy," Kyo said to the shadows, shadows that had _her_ face. "Akito wanted me to suffer as much as possible, the bitch. She would have forbid Hatori to do anything to help me."

He also knew that if Akito would make it so that if Tohru was to try to see him, she would get hurt. Akito just worked that way. If Tohru tried to contact him, Akito would make sure he never got the message.

If only he could just see her one more time. Hear her laugh, see her smile. Hell, he would be happy with a measly _photograph_. Anything to remember her by.

Because, he was not sure how long his memory would last…


	3. A New Life Begins

_Author's Note__: Welcome to the third chapter of the new __Moonlit Serenade__. I hope you are enjoying the changes (if you read the original, that is), and if you are new, I hope you are enjoying the story. _Fruits Basket_, of course, belongs to Takaya-san. The rest? Totally mine. Love you all! For those of you who have yet to finish the series, there are spoilers within. Ye have been warned!_

* * *

**Chapter 3 - A New Life Begins**

_Three years later._

Tohru sat at her simple desk in her dorm room, staring at the open Biology textbook in front of her, the words blurring together to form a black blob. She closed her eyes and leaned back, pinch the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. She could swear that all this homework was going to make her go permanently cross eyed. She opened her eyes, and stared at the little Zodiac set Shigure had painted for her all that time ago. She reached out and lifted the little orange cat (her own addition to the set) and held it in her hand, rotating it, allowing her mind to wander.

Had it already been three years since she had last seen him? She remembered when she had wished she could sneak into the Main House to see him, but she had never tried because she knew Akito would sure have found out, and where would that had left either of them?

No, it was best to leave well enough alone.

Okay, that was a lie. She still missed him more than anything. It was as though a piece of her was missing.

She set the "cat" back into it's place within the Zodiac figures and shut her textbook, using a pencil as a bookmark. Standing up, she addressed the little cat figure. "No. I have to see him. It's been too long. I _have_ to see how he is!"

Determined to see this through, she picked up her cell phone, the little cat charm jingling delicately, and dialed a familiar number.

"TOHRUUUUUUUU!" exclaimed the energetic voice on the other end, making Tohru smile. Always so enthusiastic, that little rabbit!

"Hey, Momiji, I have a favor to ask of you, if that's all right…"

Several minutes later, all the arrangements had been made. She felt butterflies beginning to flutter about in her stomach. It's been three years, would he be happy to see her? Angry that she waited so long? Would he hate her by now? She had written dozens of letters in the beginning, but after learning that Akito had thrown them all in a fire no sooner than they arrived, she gave up.

Besides, the words never really came out right, so she brushed it off as for the best.

Tohru looked out the window at the setting sun. There was not much time...

* * *

Kyo resented Momiji's visits, which were much more frequent than he would have liked. He only tolerated the rabbit's incessant babbling because he always hoped that news of Tohru would slip out. Momiji saw Tohru regularly, and always made it a point to say nothing (this would always make Kyo wish the blond boy would sit close enough to the bars so he could reach through and wring his bubbly little neck). It killed Kyo to listen to Momiji, knowing the latter can see Tohru and revealed nothing. Not to mention that the little squirt managed to be released from the curse somehow and could _touch_ her...

Tonight's chatter was about college. Again. The same college, Akito relished in informing him over and over, that Tohru attended. Without Kyo.

"...Then my teacher called me out to read my poem in front of the class," Momiji was saying, "It felt like being in high school again! I was so embarrassed because my poem was not nearly as good as Tohru's," Kyo's head snapped up. _What?_ "Mine was really-"

Kyo ran to the bars. "Tohru is in your writing class?"

Momiji's eyes grew as big as saucers. He knew he slipped up. "Umm...erm...well, yes, she is...but…" He looked around anxiously, as though Akito was about to leap from the bushes at him. "I am not supposed to-"

Kyo interrupted the younger boy again. "Fuck Akito's bitterness! How is she? Is she doing all right?"

A voice came out of the shadows behind Momiji, and Kyo's heart stopped beating. "She's fine, actually."

Kyo's mouth went dry. It wasn't. He was dreaming. No, he was dead. Yes, that's it. Dead.

She stepped from the shadows and, while she had matured greatly in three years, Kyo had no doubts as to her identity, as she had haunted his dreams every night. Tohru had grown into herself, resembling her mother more than ever, and her brown hair was cut in a slightly longer version of the hairstyle Kyoko wore in the photo Tohru treasured so much. This fell to her shoulders, as straight as always. She was slightly taller, but not by much (Kyo wasn't sure if he just forgot her height or not), and she was slimmer, yet she still had curves. While still plain by society's standards, to Kyo, her beauty was like a glow. She could illuminate the whole courtyard, no -his whole _life_, with one of her smiles.

"It's good to see you again, Kyo." Oh, man, her _voice_ was even a little different. Warmer, more mature. It flowed over his skin like silk, and his palms grew sweaty. She smiled shyly, the old Tohru shining through, and he lost the ability to speak.

He had to be dreaming. This wasn't happening.

Momiji looked between the two of them, smiling mischievously. "I will be going. I have to keep lookout!" Momiji gave a ridiculous little giggle and, after a quick hug to Tohru (Kyo decided that Momiji needed to be destroyed), he skipped off into the darkness.

Timidly, Tohru approached the bars, the moonlight making her brown eyes glow. She looked at the cat behind the bars. Despite the shadows that the bars cast on his figure, she could see him clearly in the moonlight. He was just as she remembered him, only three years older, and his hair was a little longer. It unnerved her how quiet he was, and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "So...erm...h-how are you?"

His voice came out in a harsh whisper, mixed with bitterness and irony, "How do you think?"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She began to wring her hands. "I-I didn't think!" Turning away, she bit her lip. Their first meeting in three years, and she was already making a blunder of things, and it had barely been five minutes.

"You haven't changed a bit, you know." His voice was softer now, gentler. He smiled. "You are my first visitor outside of the family."

"I'm sorry, Kyo."

"Well, it's not as though I have many friends outside, or inside, the family."

Tohru blushed prettily. "I am so sorry! If I had known, I would have tried to come sooner. I just...well…"

"You just what?" exclaimed Kyo in an excited whisper. "You really need to learn to speak your mind for once. You never change." He chuckled a little. It was nice to laugh, he realized.

Tohru took a deep breath to steady her frayed nerves, and took a hesitant step forward. "What if I _do_ what is on my mind?"

Kyo smiled. It felt good to smile, too. "That would be a good step, too."

Tohru blushed deeper, if that was possible, and stepped up to the bars, bringing their faces inched apart. She reached through, and gently cradled his cheek in her hand.

He noticed that her hand was trembling.

She guided his face forward and leaned in, closing her eyes.

And, when their lips touched, it was as though time stood still.


	4. Frozen in Time

_Author's Note__: Hello! Now, it's to the fourth chapter to my "Fix up __Moonlit Serenade__" quest-thing. I find that I am rewording more than I anticipated, but the plot hasn't changed. I am just describing stuff better, IMO, and adding to what I already have in regards to descriptions and feelings. _Fruits Basket_ belongs to Takaya-san, the rest is all me._

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Frozen in Time**

Kyo's world was spinning out of control. _Was this really happening?_ he thought. Her lips were softer than silk and so warm. It was better than anything he had dreamed of (and he dreamed of her a lot). Whenever he closed his eyes, Tohru was there in his mind, and it helped him to not feel as alone. He was horrified that when he opened his eyes after she kissed him, he would be alone once more. He was sure she was going to vanish, like a shadow, like all those times before.

_No_, he thought, _Not this time! This is real!_

Tohru pulled away and a wave of disappointment washed over him, why couldn't it last forever? He licked his lips awkwardly, recalling how she tasted of strawberries. Kyo wondered if she planned this whole thing. Momiji's slip of mentioning her, her emerging from the shadows, the kiss. He smiled to himself. How he had changed in three years! If she had tried this then, he would have been livid from her manipulations. _Heh, manipulate me, now, Tohru, I'm yours._

They stared at each other in comfortable silence, their faces mere inches apart, and Kyo could see his reflection in her chocolately brown eyes. She smelled like flowers, he noticed. Jasmine? Roses? He didn't care, he only knew that he will forever associate that smell with his Tohru. It intoxicated him, making him stomach tie into knots. He will never forget that fragrance.

Her gaze shifted to her hands (typical Tohru), and a blush darkened her cheeks (still Tohru). The corner of Kyo's mouth turned up in a sort of half-smile. He reached through the bars and lifted her chin gently with his hand. Her eyes locked onto his and her voice was nearly a whisper when she spoke. "I didn't plan that, I'm sorry."

Kyo chuckled. "Don't be," he replied tenderly. He let his hand drift into her hair and it flowed through his fingers, softer than he had ever dreamed. Time to change the subject. Make her more comfortable. "You look different."

Tohru diverted her eyes. "I'm sorry. Kagura insisted on cutting my hair. I didn't really want to."

Kyo closed his eyes against a brief wave of anger. _So Kagura got to see his Tohru regularly, too?_ He swallowed the temper away, refusing to allow himself to ruin this moment with Tohru. He forced himself to smile, finding it easier than he thought it would be. "I like it. It suits you."

She smiled brightly and studied him through the bars. There were tears forming in her eyes. "It kills me to see you in here. You should be with us, at school. It's not the same without you. Yuki has hardly spoken since the imprisonment. He buries himself in his studies, and we barely see him outside of classes. When we are at home with Shigure, he locks himself in his room most of the time. He really feels horrible about you being in here."

Kyo shot her a cold stare. "Did you come here to see me or defend that damn rat?"

Tohru's eyes widened and she took a step back from Kyo, her hand at her chest as though he had threatened her. Kyo hated himself for it.

Then he saw it. On her left wrist, the one resting in front of her heart, was a bracelet of pearls, in an alternating black and white pattern.

A bracelet remarkably similar to the enchanted one he wore (made of bone white and blood red beads) to keep him from transforming to the cat's true form, a demon figure.

The world came crashing down at that moment. Kyo fell against the wall of his prison and slid to the floor, his face in his hands, and allowed the tears to fall. He screamed in pain over his situation, the solitude, losing Tohru. He threaded his fingers through his hair, his long nails scratching his scalp. He stood and began to pace, then stopped and punched a wall, welcoming the pain.

Tohru was crying behind him, and that was what brought him back to reality. He looked over his shoulder and she was pressed against the bars with one arm stretched through, reaching for him. Kyo stepped up to her and took her hand, placing a gentle kiss to the inside of her wrist then holding her hand against his cheek. "I'm sorry, Tohru."

Before he could say more, Momiji came bounding in from nowhere. "Tohru! We _have_ to go! Akito is coming!"

Kyo felt her fingers brush against his cheek as she pulled her hand away, and she was gone, the smell of flowers hanging lightly in the air.


	5. The Pain Never Subsides

_Author's Note__: Hello, again, my lovelies. Here is chapter the fifth of the revamped __Moonlit Serenade__. There is only one chapter after this one to update! Then, I hope to get a new chapter up to get the story back into circulation, so to speak. Much love! ~LM~_

_(_Fruits Basket_ belongs to Takaya-san, the rest is mine.)_

* * *

**Chapter 5 - The Pain Never Subsides**

Yuki awoke in a cold sweat from the recurring nightmare. Almost every night, it haunted him. He kept reliving when he had come home to see Tohru unconscious on the floor of the house, her despair because of him.

Dragging himself out of bed, he entered the little bathroom that was a part of his dormitory and splashed cold water on his face to clear his mind. His reflection in the mirror startled him again, he rarely recognized himself anymore. He was thinner than he used to be, and his hair had grown long enough to be queued back into a short ponytail. He needed to shave, as usual. The shadows beneath his eyes were practically permanent. He just didn't care anymore.

"So much for their precious Prince Yuki," he said bitterly to his reflection. Pushing away from the sink to try to get more sleep before classes, he noticed his bracelet. Not long after Kyo's imprisonment, a small group of Sohmas (with the addition of Tohru, who was pretty much one of them) had bracelets made to show their support to Kyo, as well as their opposition of Akito. Each one fit the personality of the wearer. Tohru's was made with large black and white pearls, Kagura and Rin had a matching pair of clear and black crystals, and Momiji and Hatsuharu sported metal discs that were colored with ivory and blood red enamel. Only Yuki made his identical to Kyo, with wooden beads of bone white and blood red. None of them removed their bracelets, not even for Akito. Eventually their Head of the family learned to ignore them, or have them turn their backs on the rest of the Zodiac.

Lying on his bed, he stared at the bracelet, turning the beads with his fingers. He knew what had to be done.

They will either free Kyo, or Yuki will take his place.

* * *

In the weeks that had passed since Tohru had made her initial secret visit to Kyo's cell, she was only able to return a handful of times, with Momiji as lookout. Some visits lasted only minutes, others hours, and one had luckily lasted until dawn. Most visits were spent in companionable silence, others were spent with Tohru recounting stories from the past three years, from the happenings of college life and other menial topics. She knew Kyo did not care for such topics, but he never complained, admitting that he was just happy to listen to her talk.

Another meeting had been arranged for that evening, and Momiji had planned to attempt to steal a key so she can let Kyo out-of-doors for a short time (she hated that she was to lock him back in, but they couldn't take the risk). Hopefully, Momiji will succeed, and they could have a copy made, then she could let Kyo out during every visit, instead of just reaching through the bars to hold his hand while they talked.

Tying an orange ribbon in her hair, she assessed herself in the small mirror on the back of her closet door. Satisfied with her appearance, she set out to meet with Momiji, mentally crossing her fingers that he was successful. She was so distracted, that she failed to notice the figure in the hall outside her door.

She ran right into him, falling to the floor with an "_oomph!_" She looked up and saw Yuki before her, his hand extended to assist her, which she happily accepted. At first, she was puzzled. _Why didn't he transform?_ Then, she saw the books scattered about. _Ah, he was carrying books in front of him. Got it…_ He looked disheveled, as usual (Tohru was unpleasantly used to it), but at least he had shaved.

_Good_, she thought, _I was beginning to worry about him._

Together, they kneeled and collected the books from the floor. "Momiji said you were going to the Main House again tonight," said Yuki, his voice so low, she almost could not hear him.

Tohru nodded. "He's going to try to steal a key, so I can let Kyo out tonight." Yuki's eyes widened, and she sighed. "Unfortunately, not permanently. We are going to have the key copied, and let him out during my visits. Kyo needs fresh air and to be able to walk through the gardens. Hatori 'let slip'" (Tohru used her fingers to mime quotes) "that Akito will be traveling for the next few days. This is our only chance to get that key."

Yuki nodded and reached out to touch the satin ribbon in her hair, tied right above her ear like she used to (but only one side, Yuki recalled tying a yellow ribbon he gave her this way). It was a deep orange that matched Kyo's hair to perfection. Lightly tracing his fingers to the end, as to not muss the bow, he saw a small cat embroidered at the end. "Where did you get this?"

"Kisa. She is really coming along with her needlework. She wears one like it, too, whenever she is not near Akito. No one will let her risk wearing it more, nor will anyone allow her to wear a bracelet like we do. She is still too young."

"That she is. Hiro wanted us to let him wear a bracelet, but he is too young, as well. He resorted to a woven band that is bright orange that Kisa made him." Yuki motioned for Tohru to pass him in the hall. "Allow me to walk you to Momiji's room?"

Tohru smiled. On occasion, the old Yuki would come to the surface for a moment, like a fish breaking the surface of a pond. She treasured these little moments, since they assured her that Yuki was not completely gone from her. He took Kyo's imprisonment the hardest, still shouldering all the blame, no matter her assurances to the contrary. Yuki would not relent.

They made the short trip to Momiji's room in silence. Shifting the books to be better balanced in one hand, he reached out and knocked on the younger boy's door. When the little blond opened the door, a bright smile graced his features at his cousin's presence. "Yuki!" he cried, hugging him enthusiastically and nearly upsetting the pile of books again.

Momiji turned to Tohru. "I got the key, Tohru! I made a copy and everything. No one will know!" He held out the key (adorned with a orange ribbon like the one Tohru wore, only shorter) like a trophy. Tohru accepted it with a laugh.

"Thank you, Momiji. Since Akito won't be there, you can stay here tonight. I will be fine alone." Momiji nodded.

Yuki turned to his cousin. "Since you are staying, I would like to talk to you about a thought I had." Momiji assented, he would do anything for Yuki. Tohru smiled, happy that at least some of the family could stay together. At least they had each other.

Kissing each of them on the cheek, she excused herself to follow the now familiar back routes to the Sohma Main House.

* * *

It felt like an eternity since Kyo had seen Tohru, even though it had been a week. As he saw her emerge from the shadows, he noticed something was different immediately.

She was alone. _Where was Momiji? Wasn't he supposed to be lookout? Useless rabbit!_

"Where's Momiji?" he asked, startled that he was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"At his dorm. He's not coming tonight, Kyo. Akito's out of town, anyway. I have nothing to worry about," she assured him. Smiling, she held up something that was dangling off a string of some sort and glinted in the moonlight. After a moment, he realized it was a key. He threw a look over his shoulder at the door to his prison. When he looked as her again, she was walking closer, the key swinging like a pendulum. "Momiji stole the key and made me a copy."

"You can't! Akito will know it was you."

Tohru blinked against the tears in her eyes. "I wish I could say that it was permanent, but it isn't. Not yet, anyway. Just for tonight. You deserve it. I wanted a copy so I can let you out and put you back without Akito ever knowing." With that, she vanished from his view in the little barred window. Kyo practically leapt across the room to make it to the door when she did. With a silent _click_, the door opened, and there she was. No walls or bars between them, just him and Tohru.

She reached out and took his hand, guiding him into courtyard. The ground was soft beneath his bare feet. Tears formed in his eyes, a mixture of elation for his moment of freedom and sadness at its temporary nature. Usually, he would have hated the thought of crying in front of Tohru, but it didn't matter. For the moment, he was free, and he was with Tohru. No Akito. Nothing else mattered.

He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his hands, relishing in the softness of her skin, and he kissed her. He poured all his emotion into that single kiss, as though if he did not, he would lose the chance. He felt her tears mix with his own and he gently turned her head to try a different angle. Her hands snaked up to rest at his neck, and he ran his fingers through her hair. A ribbon came loose and caught around his hand.

As the kiss ended, he noticed the embroidery decorating the ribbon, and his eyes shot to hers in surprise. He smiled and lowered his mouth to hers again, stopping an inch before reaching her lips.

When he whispered something against her lips, she felt her heart flutter, and the muscles in her stomach tightened pleasantly.

"_I love you._"


	6. Love Cannot Be Locked Away

_Author's Note__: OMGYAY! The last chapter of my ultimate rewrite adventure. Now, I can make progress! Huzzah! Oh, happy day! Okay, where was I? Oh, right. The story...I can do that. Much love. _Fruits Basket_ is property of Takaya-san, not me. As far as the story, reverse that._

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Love Cannot be Locked Away**

_Did he just say what I think he said?_ thought Tohru as Kyo kissed her once more, his hands still gently holding her face. Her ribbon was still twisting around his finger in the soft night breezes.

_I love you._ The words spun like a whirlwind through her mind, and her world reeled out of control in turn. She fervently kissed him back, resting her hands on his muscular chest (she was impressed to know that he still worked out, even after being locked away) and feeling his heart echo her own in a fierce tattoo under her hand. In the back recesses of her mind, a small voice reminded her to be careful of the Sohma curse, since it would do no one any favors for him to transform into a cat at that moment.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, Kyo broke the kiss. Tohru found herself disappointed. He took a small step back and looked at her.

He had always wanted to see her this way, set aglow in the moonlight. _There are other ways I would like to see her_, he thought, but he immediately shoved the ideas away. No. He will _not_ allow his hormones to get the better of him. Not this night, it was too important. He stared into her eyes, and the stars appeared to be suspended therein. "You are so beautiful," he whispered.

Tohru looked down shyly and stared at her shoes. "No, I'm not," she said. Her tone was as though she was stating facts in class. Very matter-of-fact.

Although he didn't say it aloud, Kyo understood what she said. She was not stunning like a famous actress or pop star, by some standards she was downright plain, but there was something about her that made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin (in the best way possible). He tenderly lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "Yes, Tohru, you are. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Tears glistened in her eyes for a moment, but she blinked them away. Only Kyo had ever called her beautiful. Shigure and Yuki did occasionally, but she was usually dressed up for a party or other such event at the time. Kyo would just _tell_ her so for no reason except that he felt that she needed to know. He grasped his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "Walk with me."

Together, they walked through the courtyard, and Kyo was surprised to notice that he was horrified. After three years, he was able to leave his prison, if even for a short time. It had to be too good to be true. He was afraid that Akito was suddenly going to show up and Tohru would be punished, or maybe he would just wake up. He was not sure which was worse. When he was a child, he remember playing in the courtyard (usually alone, which really didn't bother him) or just walking around. Later, he left the Main House altogether and set off on his own to train and learn who he was. He missed that freedom, and now, because of the angel holding his hand, he was experiencing it again.

It felt so _new_ to him, so foreign. They walked beneath the branches of a sakura tree in full bloom, and Kyo reached out and touched one the branches, recalling how he had watched this tree bloom and rain pink flowers three times already. He could almost feel the life within it, and nearly envied it. Here it was, free to be itself, and Kyo could only watch. Letting go of Tohru's hand, he reached out and plucked a late blossom from a low branch and twirled it in his fingers.

Tohru watched him as he started to wander about the courtyard. He reminded her of a child as he touched everything and held on to that little sakura blossom like some kind of lifeline. Love for him swelled within her until she felt like she was going to explode. Suddenly, Kyo spun on his heel to face her, and in three of his long strides he was in front of her. Placing one hand behind her neck, he kissed her. It was almost desperate, as though he was afraid everything would disappear if he did not kiss her at that very moment in time. Tohru tasted salt from tears. Were they her? His? Did it _matter_? No. She returned the kiss with equal fervor, relying solely on instinct. She never dated at college, none of the guys there paid her any attention. She was practically invisible. Rarely, someone would show interest in her. Then, he would learn of her close ties to the Sohma family, and he would not pursue anything. She once overheard a group of guys talking as she passed.

_I bet every last one of them guard her. Imagine if something happened!_

_I never want to cross paths with any of them!_

_I'm not afraid to say it, man, those Sohmas scare the shit out of me!_

Kyo's hands drifted to her waist, breaking her from her reverie. His fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt and caressed her skin there. Everywhere he touched felt like it had been branded, and heat flowed through her entire body, pooling in the pit of her stomach. She let her instincts take over as she touched him. His face, his neck, his arms, everywhere she could manage.

"I love you, Kyo."

…the sakura blossom floated to the ground between them, completely forgotten.

* * *

When Tohru opened her eyes, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky pink. Yawning, she propped herself on her elbows and gathered her bearings. As her mind cleared, a blush flooded her cheeks as everything from the night before came rushing back. Rubbing a hand over her face, as though trying to push the mental cobwebs away, she sighed. They had taken many risks the previous night, but there was one risk neither were ready to take. It was big enough that she not only let Kyo out of his cell, she risked a lot just to stay with him the rest of the night. There was no way they were going to risk _that_.

What surprised her (and made her blush darken), was that _he_ had shown restraint _first_ in that arena. She let her instincts take over completely, and she was ready to follow through, but Kyo had stopped her, bringing her back to reality. _We can't. Not now._ She was thankful for it, since his words hit them both like a bucket of cold water. They had both regained their composure (as well as a few discarded articles of clothing, including a certain orange hair ribbon), and Tohru collected a pair of blankets she had brought along with her. These were spread across the ground, and they watched the stars twinkling at them as they drifted off to sleep, Tohru curled carefully in the crook of Kyo's arm to make sure she did not accidentally cause him to transform during the night.

As the remaining cobwebs cleared from her mind, she realized that she was alone on the blanket. Startled, she sat up and searched in the dim morning light for a sign of him. She found him sitting not too far away, watching her. She stretched again. "Hi. How long have you been awake?"

He stood and approached the blanket. "An hour? Maybe two. I liked watching you sleep." He sat beside her, and she was not disappointed to see that he had never retrieved his shirt from the previous night. It was currently draped over a rock a couple of yards away. Kyo without a shirt on? Tohru had to admit, she couldn't complain.

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his shoulder. "I hope you don't like it too much. Why would you just want to watch me sleep?"

"Oh, I like watching you when you're awake, too," he said, pulling her close and kissing her with more passion than what was probably appropriate at that time of morning (_but, what do I know?_ Tohru thought). She blushed. He chuckled, and it was nice to hear him laugh. "Thank you," he said. When she looked puzzled, he added, "For coming here. For letting me out. For _everything_."

"Oh." Tohru's voice wavered with characteristic nervousness. "It's nothing, really. I am just happy I could do it all without turning you into a cat at all."

Kyo's smile grew mischievous. "You're right. You didn't." And, with that, he pounced on her, and she cried out in surprise.

Tohru continued to laugh as she held an orange cat.


End file.
